From Extremism to Encounter: Social Media Algorithms, Political Violence, and the Common Good

From Extremism to Encounter: Social Media Algorithms, Political Violence, and the Common Good

Presenter:
Dr. Anna Floerke Scheid

Date:
October 10, 2024

Time:
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Location:
Gailliot Center, Carlow University

Event Description:

In this presentation, Dr. Anna Floerke Scheid will explore how current social media algorithms amplify hatred, spread misinformation and disinformation, and foster political polarization and extremism. These forces undermine what Pope Francis calls a “culture of encounter,” which promotes human dignity and the common good across differences.

Dr. Scheid will discuss how social media contributes to political violence and radicalization in the U.S., including its role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. She will also offer practical steps that individuals and communities can take to make social media a safer space for the common good, helping to shift from extremism to encounter.

Speaker Bio:

Anna Floerke Scheid is an Associate Professor in the Theology Department at Duquesne University. Her work focuses on the intersections of religion and U.S. political life, religion and violence, war and peacebuilding, as well as faith-based activism and organizing. She is committed to exploring how people can exercise their power over the social, economic, and political forces that shape our shared lives.

Dr. Scheid holds a Ph.D. in Theological Ethics from Boston College, an M.A. from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and a B.A. from Northwestern University. She is the author of Just Revolution: A Christian Ethic of Political Resistance and Social Transformation (Lexington, 2015), as well as numerous essays and articles. Her most recent publication, “Social Media Algorithms, Christian Extremism, and Catholic Ethics for Faith-Based Advocacy to Build a Culture of Encounter,” appeared in the journal Political Theology.

This event is brought to you by the Atkins Center for Ethics at Carlow University.